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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
An A-Level dropout on Wednesday appeared in court on allegations of selling an October-November 2019 Economics Paper 3 examination paper after it was stolen from the printing press by his father, who is a Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) clerk.

The accused, whose age was not given, was facing fraud charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Richard Ramaboa.
He was granted $300 bail.

The court heard that sometime in October 2019, the accused’s father, Edisendi Muzira (54), who is out of custody on the same charge, was assigned to the Norton printing press and his duties included packaging of printed October-November 2019 O and A-Level examination papers.

It is alleged that during that period, Muzira smuggled out an October-November 2019 Economics Paper 3 exam paper which whose sitting was set for November 28.

On October 24, 2019, his son, a dropout from Speciss College, sold the paper for US$50.
“It is alleged that he also photographed the examination question paper and used his WhatsApp platform to send a soft copy to Nigel Dengeza in Chitungwiza after he was paid a fee,” the State is alleging.

The court heard that the exam paper went viral in most parts of the country, and was accessed by many candidates.
Some candidates, who had accessed the leaked paper, were arrested at Gebuza High School in Hwange after a teacher intercepted it before examination time and were subsequently sent to Hwange Magistrates’ Court for prosecution.
Zimsec confirmed that the recovered examination paper was original.

Community service
Meanwhile, a boarding master at Washington Hills High School will perform 350 hours of community service at Waterfalls Clinic after he was convicted of fondling a 15-year-old pupil’s breasts.
Harare magistrate Mrs Sharon Rakafa convicted Alouis Mhondiwa of indecent assault of a minor.

Mrs Rakafa initially sentenced Mhondiwa to 18 months in prison before suspending eight months on condition of good behaviour.

The remaining 10 months were set aside on condition that Mhondiwa performed 350 hours of community service at Waterfalls Clinic.

During trial, the minor narrated how Mhondiwa had invited her to his home.
Prosecutor Talkmore Muganhiri told the court that on August 23 around 9pm, the minor went to Mhondiwa’s residence.

The court heard that Mhondiwa began fondling the child’s breast without her consent.
The matter spilled to school authorities and was reported to the police, leading to Mhondiwa’s arrest.